Balloon mounted antenna with reeling and storage container



y 1964 w. M. GOETZMA'NN, JR 3,142,063

BALLOON MOUNTED ANTENNA wrm REELING AND STORAGE CONTAINER Filed March28, 1961 r 7 a 3 Shdet's-Sheef 1.

INVENTOR.

y 1964 w. M. GOETZMANN, JR 3,142,063

BALLOON MOUNTED ANTENNA mm REELING AND STORAGE CONTAINER Fil ed March28. 1961' v s Sheets-Sheet 2 Will/am M. GoefzmanqJz.

IN VENTOR.

July 21, 1964 w. M. GOETZMANN, JR

BALLOON MOUNTED ANTENNA wna assume AND STORAGE CONTAINER Filed March'40. .1961

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 n H |l in! INVENTOR. BY an Ann-sq:

William M. Gaefzmann, Jr.

III II ll 1 o o k I United States Patent 3,142,063 BALLOON MGUNTEDANTENNA WITH REELING AND STORAGE CONTAINER William M. Goetzmann, Jr.,2502 9th St., Lake Charles, La. Filed Mar. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 98,827 8Claims. (Cl. 343706) This invention relates to a mobile radio antennaassembly adapted to be mounted on a moving vehicle for the purpose ofimproving the propagation of or reception of electromagnetic waveenergy.

The present invention is concerned with the use of radio transmittersand/or receivers mounted in moving vehicles as commonly used for theradio dispatch of instructions to commercial vehicles such as petroleumtrucks, construction company trucks, as well as vehicles used by thearmed forces. In moving through'certain areas, such vehicles encounterdifliculty in transmitting or receiving radio signals because ofobstructions which tend to disturb signal transmission or reception. Theuse of ultrahigh frequency radio waves which to a greater extent tend toassume straight line paths is particularly effected by suchobstructions. The present invention therefore, improves transmission andreception of radio waves by avoiding the aforementioned problem byselectively positioning the radio equipment antenna at a sulficientheight above the moving vehicle so as to better receive or transmit theradio signals.

Another object of this invention is to provide a radio antenna assemblywhich by virtue of simplicity of manufacture, installation and operationis particularly useful for commercial and military vehicles inconnection with two-way radio equipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mobile antennaassembly for radio transmitter or receiver equipment on moving vehicleswhich may be extended for use and conveniently withdrawn within astoring enclosure.

In accordance with the foregoing objects, the present invention ishoused within an enclosure which stores all of the components of theantenna assembly when not in use. The enclosure therefore rotatablymounts a cable winding drum on which an antenna conductor is wound.Also, stored within the enclosure is a plastic type inflatable balloonwhich is connected to one end of the an tenna conductor in such a mannerthat when it is inflated for use, fouling of the conductor is prevented.A suitable antenna is also mounted on top of the balloon when inflatedso as to carry the antenna to a suitable height after the balloon hasbeen inflated and the antenna conductor extended from the winding drumunder the control of a crank. The other end of the antenna conductorextends through an axial end of the winding drum and the storageenclosure for plug-in to the radio equipment with which the antenna isassociated. The antenna carrier balloon may conveniently be inflatedwhen desired by means of a helium gas filled cartridge which may beinserted into a container connected to a lower end of the balloon. Thecontainer accordingl includes a one-way inlet valve at its upper endwithin the balloon having a porous partition member disposed therebelowfor mounting a puncture needle. When the helium filled cartridge isinserted within the container, it may be forced upwardly thereinto bymeans of an end closure cap so as to puncture the upper end of thecartridge to thereby release the helium gas therefrom which enters theballoon for inflation thereof through the porous partition member andthe one-way valve. The elevation of the balloon with the antennacemented to the top thereof may then be controlled by unwinding of thewinding drum to which the antenna conductor is connected. An extremelyuseful, convenient and effective antenna assembly is thereby realized.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a truck-type vehicle mounting the antennaassembly of the present invention which is shown in use.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial view of the antenna assembly.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view showing the mounting of the antennaon top of the carrier balloon.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the base of the antenna atop thecarrier balloon.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view of the lower end of the carrierballoon with the inflating mechanism attached thereto.

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a planeindicated by section line 66 in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the antenna assembly in storedcondition.

FIGURE 8 is a partial side elevational view illustrating an alternatemethod for inflating the antenna carrier balloon.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed from FIGURE1 that the antenna assembly which is generally referred to by referencenumeral 10 is mounted at the rear of a vehicle 12 which contains theradio equipment with which the antenna assembly is associated; As willbe observed further in FIGURE 1 the vehicle is moving along a road 14and obstructions such as the tree 16 may be disposed within the vicinitywhich would ordinarily disrupt or have a deleterious effect on thetransmission of or reception of radio signals by the radio equipmentwithin the vehicle 12. The antenna assembly 10 accordingly asillustrated is in its extended condition in which the antenna 18 thereofis disposed above the tree 16 by being mounted atop a carrier balloon 20of the antenna assembly 10.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 in particular it will be observed that thecarrier balloon 20 which is illustrated in its inflated condition may bemade of any suitable plastic material and is inflated preferably byhelium gas. The antenna 18 is therefore cemented to the top of theballoon 20 as more clearly seen from FIGURES 3 and 4 and hence includesa base 22 for such purpose, which base 22 includes any suitable meansfor rigidly carrying the antenna 18 projecting thereabove such as thescrew member 24 seated within a recess 26 within the base 22 to whichthe antenna device 18 may be threadedly'connected. The antenna conductor28' which is connected to the antenna device 18 and extends thereto fromthe vehicle 12 as seen in FIGURE 1 includes a portion 30 which iscemented to the side of the balloon 20 when in inflated condition toprevent fouling of the conductor. A suitable conductive connectorfitting 32 is therefore provided between the upper end of the conductorportion 30 and the lower end of the antenna device 18 as more clearlyseen in FIGURE 4. The lower portion 30 is also cemented to the side ofan inflation mechanism generally referred to by reference numeral 34 tobe described in further detail hereafter.

The antenna conductor 28 is therefore connected at its other end to thevehicle by means of a winding drum generally referred to by referencenumeral 36 which is rotatably mounted within a storage enclosuregenerally referred to by reference numeral 38. Referring therefore toFIGURES 6 and 7 in particular, it will be observed that the enclosure 38is made of any suitable boxlike construction which includes a hingeconnected top lid 40. The winding drum assembly 36 is rotatably mountedbetween the lateral sides 42 and 44 of the enclosure 38. Space isprovided on one side of the winding drum assembly 36 for storing theballoon 20 in its folded condition as illustrated in FIGURE 7. Thestorage enclosure 38 may also carry the helium gas filled cartridges tobe used as will hereafter be explained. A crank mechanism 46 isconnected to the winding drum assembly 36 and is disposed on the side 44of the enclosure 33 for the purpose of manually rotating the windingdrum assembly 36 so as to release therefrom or withdraw thereon theantenna conductor 28. The winding drum assembly 36 therefore includes aspool portion 48 as more clearly seen in FIGURE 6 and a pair of endflange members 50 to which stub shaft 52 may be connected for thepurpose of journalling the Winding drum assembly between the side walls42 and 44 of the enclosure 38. The inner end of the conductor 28 extendsthrough one of the end flanges 50 of the winding drum as sembly and maybe connected to a retractible plug cord 54 mounted by fitting 56 in theside wall 42 of the enclosure 38 so that the plug 58 at the end thereofmay be operatively connected to the radio equipment with which theantenna assembly is associated.

In order to raise the antenna device 18 to its elevated position asillustrated for example in FIGURE 1, it will be appreciated that theballoon 20 must be inflated. Accordingly, the inflation mechanism 34 asmore clearly illustrated in FIGURE is connected to the lower neck end ofthe balloon 20. The inflation mechanism includes a container 60 oftubular form which is connected by suitable wire fastener devices 62 tothe lower end of the balloon 20 in sealed relation thereto. The upperend of the container 60 has mounted thereon a one-way flap valve 64providing one-way communication between the inside of the balloon 20 andthe helium gas to be admitted thereinto. The container 69 accordinglyhas an aperture 66 formed at the upper end thereof. Disposed below theaperture 66 is a porus partition member 68 through which the helium gasmay enter into the aperture 66 and past the one-way flap valve 64. Thepartition member 68 is provided for the purpose of mounting a punctureneedle 70. It will therefore be apparent that a helium filled cartridgemember 72 may be placed within the container 60 with the upper end 74 inalignment with the puncture needle 70 so that when the end cap closuremember 76 threadedly engaged with the lower end of the container 60, isaxially moved upwardly upon rotation thereof with respect to thecontainer 60, the helium filled cartridge 72 will be punctured by theneedle 70. The gas from the punctured cartridge 72 will therefore flowupwardly through the porous member 63 and through the one-Way flap valve64 for filling and inflating the balloon 20. A flexible annular gasketmember 78 is therefore disposed between the partition member 68 and theupper end of the cartridge member 72 for conducting the helium gas intothe balloon 20. An alternative method for inflating the balloon 20 isshown in FIG- URE 8 in which a re-useable helium tank 80 having anoutlet valve 82 and a needle valve 84 connected to a flexible conduitmember 86, may directly supply helium gas to the balloon.

As will be seen from FIGURE 1, when the carrier balloon 20 is in anelevated position, a nylon cord 88 which is connected to the lower endof the balloon 20, may anchor the balloon 20 With respect to the vehicle12 at a point spaced from the winding drum so as to prevent drift of thecarrier balloon. It will therefore be apparent from the foregoingdescription, that the present antenna assembly is extremely useful inconnection with two-way radio equipment for moving vehicles and for bothcommercial and military vehicles.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mobile radio antenna assembly for a vehicle having a radio,comprising, storage enclosure means, Winding means rotatably mountedwithin the storage means, conductor means operatively connected to thewinding means for extension and withdrawal of the conductor means withrespect to the storage means, said radio being connected to theconductor means, inflatable carrier means operatively connected to theconductor means and foldable for reception within said storage means,and antenna means connected to the conductor means and carried by theinflatable carrier means projecting thereabove when in an inflatedcondition, said antenna means including a non-conductive base cementedto the inflatable carrier means and a projecting rod connected thereto,said conductor means being electrically connected to the rod adjacent tothe base.

2. The combination of claim 1, including inflation means connected tothe inflatable carrier means at a neck end thereof, said antenna meansbeing cemented to the carrier means diametrically opposite said neckend, and said conductor means being cemented to an outer surface of thecarrier means between said inflation means and antenna means fornon-fouling connection to the antenna means.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said winding means comprises awinding drum rotatably mounted within the storage means, crank meansconnected to the winding drum for extension or retraction of theconductor means tangentially from the winding drum, and retractible plugmeans connected to one end of the conductor means on the winding drumand extending through one axial side of the winding drum and storagemeans for connection to said radio.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said inflation means comprisescontainer means having a closed end and an open end, one-way inlet valvemeans mounted in said closed end of the container means within theinflation carrier means, porous partition means disposed below saidvalve means, puncture means mounted by the partition means, gas filledcartridge means disposed within the container means for abuttment withthe puncture means, container closure means operative to seal said openend of the container means and cause puncture of the cartridge means bythe puncture means, and gasket means disposed between the cartridgemeans and porous partition means for conducting gas from the puncturedcartridge means through the porous partition means and one-way valvemeans for inflating the carrier means.

5. The combination of claim 4, including drift cord means connected tothe container closure means for anchoring the carrier means whenelevated, at a point on the vehicle spaced from the winding means toprevent drift of the carrier means.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said winding means comprises awinding drum rotatably mounted within the storage means, crank meansconnected to the winding drum for extension or retraction of theconductor means tangentially from the winding drum, and retractible plugmeans connected to one end of the conductor means on the winding drumand extending through one axial side of the Winding drum and storagemeans for connection to said radio.

7. The combination of claim 1, including container means having an openend and a closed end connected to the carrier means, one-Way inlet valvemeans mounted in said closed end of the container means within theinflation carrier means, porous partition means disposed adjacent saidvalve means, puncture means mounted by said partition means, gas filledcartridge means disposed within the container means in abutment with thepuncture means, container closure means operative to seal said open endof the container means and cause puncture of the cartridge means by thepuncture means, gasket means disposed between the cartridge means andthe porous partition means for conducting gas from the puncturedcartridge means through the porous partition means and one-Way valvemeans for inflating the carrier means, said conductor means beingsecured to the container means and to an external surface of the carriermeans in inflated condition for non-fouling connection to the antennameans secured to the carrier means diametrically opposite the containermeans.

8. The combination of claim 7, including drift cord means connected tothe container closure means for anchoring the carrier means whenelevated, at a point on the vehicle spaced from the winding means toprevent drift of the carrier means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS651,361 Kitsee June 12, 1900 1,296,687 Nichols Mar. 11, 1919 1,650,461Nilson Nov. 22, 1927 2,203,760 Wilckens June 11, 1940 2,433,344 CrosbyDec. 30, 1947 2,619,303 Martin Nov. 25, 1952 2,646,019 Chetlan July 21,1953 2,758,203 Harris Aug. 7, 1956 2,842,090 Samwald July 8, 1958

1. A MOBILE RADIO ANTENNA ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE HAVING A RADIO,COMPRISING, STORAGE ENCLOSURE MEANS, WINDING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTEDWITHIN THE STORAGE MEANS, CONDUCTOR MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THEWINDING MEANS FOR EXTENSION AND WITHDRAWAL OF THE CONDUCTOR MEANS WITHRESPECT TO THE STORAGE MEANS, SAID RADIO BEING CONNECTED TO THECONDUCTOR MEANS, INFLATABLE CARRIER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THECONDUCTOR MEANS AND FOLDABLE FOR RECEPTION WITHIN SAID STORAGE MEANS,AND ANTENNA MEANS CONNECTED TO THE CONDUCTOR MEANS AND CARRIED BY THEINFLATABLE CARRIER MEANS PROJECTING THEREABOVE WHEN IN AN INFLATEDCONDITION, SAID ANTENNA MEANS INCLUDING A NON-CONDUCTIVE BASE CEMENTEDTO THE INFLATABLE CARRIER MEANS AND A PROJECTING ROD CONNECTED THERETO,SAID CONDUCTOR MEANS BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE ROD ADJACENT TOTHE BASE.